The present invention relates generally to an apparatus for removing deposits from a coke oven chamber.
More particularly, the invention relates to an apparatus for scraping the bottom wall of a coke oven chamber adjacent the chamber opening in order to remove deposits which prevent sealing insertion of the chamber door into the opening.
Cook oven chambers have laterally facing openings which are bounded by a door frame, and a door which is removed in toto from the opening when the contents of the chamber are to be expelled through the opening. The door frame and the door have surfaces which sealingly contact one another in order to prevent -- during the operation of the coke oven -- the escape of noxious gases into the ambient atmosphere. The sealing surfaces on the door and on the frame bounding the opening of the coke oven chamber must be cleaned from time to time in order to remove from them deposits which accumulate and which, if not removed, will prevent proper sealing action. However, deposits also form on the bottom wall of the coke oven chamber and to the extent that they form immediately inwardly of the chamber opening they can prevent the proper sealing insertion of the chamber door into the opening so that is becomes difficult to insert the door; in fact, these deposits on the bottom wall of the chamber may prevent the insertion of the door to the extent necessary to obtain a proper sealing.
This problem is recognized and heretofore the deposits on the bottom wall of coke oven chambers have been removed manually. This is not only time-consuming but also represents a rather unpleasant and tedious job for the person charged with such removal. It is therefore desirable to provide equipment which is capable of carrying out such removal of deposits from the bottom wall of a coke oven chamber without the need to resort to manual labor. Heretofore, however, no such equipment has been in existence.